Ford To Illinoisans With Older Fords Or Mazdas: Stop Driving Now

It's not every day that you see a major auto manufacturer issuing a "Do Not Drive" warning about their cars, then see a competing car company follow suit with a do not drive warning of its own. Even more unusual is the number of vehicles that are included in the warnings from the two car companies.

It's almost half a million vehicles (457,000).

If you weren't already aware, a massive amount of cars that are currently on the roads have a very big problem that could result in the death or "gruesome injury" of the driver and/or front seat passengers, and these car companies want you to get the problem fixed.

The problem is with this company, which filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and is no longer in business...

...and their product:

Ford And Mazda Said That Their Older Model Vehicles Are The Subject Of The Do Not Drive Warning Because Of The Very Dangerous Takata Airbag Inflators They Have Inside

How dangerous? The NTSB says that Takata's airbag inflators can explode with enough power to shred a metal canister into flying debris and metal fragments (like shrapnel) than can kill or critically injure the driver and others in the front seat.

It's not just "can kill or injure." They have killed and injured people.

According to the US government, 27 people have been killed by the defective airbag inflators, and nearly 500 people have been hurt. Worldwide, the number of deaths is currently at least 35.

((Warning: Graphic photo ahead))

Here's what happened to Stephanie Erdman of Destin, Florida, who was seriously injured by the airbag explosion in her Honda Civic during a traffic accident in 2014:

If You're Thinking That This Has Been Going On For Awhile, You're Right

The danger of a Takata airbag inflator exploding with horrific results has been around for a decade. The biggest auto recalls in American history were all because of this problem, with 67 million vehicles initially recalled, and over 100 million of them were recalled worldwide.

So, what's the problem now?

According to the government, lots of the vehicles still haven't been taken to dealerships for repair, and those Takata inflators are getting older, which is causing them to deteriorate even more because of exposure to temperature extremes and humidity.

If Your Vehicle Is On The Do Not Drive List, Here's What To Do

First off, click here to see if yours is one of the recalled models. (you'll be taken to the NHTSA website)

If your vehicle is on the list, you should stop driving it and reach out to a dealer to set up a repair appointment (it's a completely free repair).

Ford and Mazda both are offering free towing or mobile repairs, and even offer loaners if needed. Click here for Ford's recall website, or Click here for Mazda's recall website.